On Saturday, August 25th, exactly one year after Hurricane Harvey made landfall, Harris County voters overwhelmingly approved a $2.5 billion infrastructure bond (Proposition A), which aims to protect Houston from future storms and flooding.

Proposition A passed with over 85% voter approval. Approval of this measure means that taxpayers in Harris County will see a gradual increase of their property taxes over the next 15 years. It is estimated that an overall tax increase will be no more than 2 to 3 cents per $100 of assessed property value, or roughly a 1.4% increase.

Thanks to the investments made possible through Proposition A, residents of Harris County will benefit from flood mitigation projects that may include buyouts of homes in flood-prone areas, the construction of additional stormwater detention basins, and the expansion of local bayous, among others. The passage of this measure was also critical to allowing Harris County access to more than $2 billion in matching federal dollars for similar projects.

The passage of Proposition A brings necessary funds to addressing the flood problems in Houston. To learn more, visit the interactive map created by the Harris County Flood District, which identifies 150 projects that will benefit from the additional funding that Proposition A will generate.

ASCE urges the 116th Congress to focus on prioritizing infrastructure upgrades and modernization to sustain our economy, public health, and safety. Contact your Member of Congress to urge them to draft and pass legislation that moves toward closing the $2 trillion investment gap.

Senate Appropriators have allocated funding to the High Hazard Potential Dams Program. Write your Members of Congress and ask them to fund this program so that our nation’s “D” dams can receive the investment they need.